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<title>you should think about the consequence of your magnetic field being a little too strong by laadynaty</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25424932">you should think about the consequence of your magnetic field being a little too strong</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/laadynaty/pseuds/laadynaty'>laadynaty</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Daevabad Trilogy - S. A. Chakraborty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkwardness, Denial of Feelings, Empire of gold spoilers, EoG spoilers, F/M, Fluff, Pining, Spoilers for Book 3: The Empire of Gold</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:22:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,803</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25424932</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/laadynaty/pseuds/laadynaty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a starry night, Nahri gets the timing wrong.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nahri e-Nahid &amp; Alizayd al Qahtani, Nahri e-Nahid/Alizayd al Qahtani</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>you should think about the consequence of your magnetic field being a little too strong</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/socordia/gifts">socordia</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musogato/gifts">Musogato</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/munazza/gifts">munazza</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/bachdiva/gifts">bachdiva</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/unorgaynized/gifts">unorgaynized</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twinkleterson/gifts">Twinkleterson</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananabreadbee/gifts">bananabreadbee</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnUnknownForeignBeauty/gifts">AnUnknownForeignBeauty</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Spoilers for The Empire of Gold! </p><p>For Luisa, who introduced me to this amazing universe, and for all my Potato Heads friends &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nahri most definitely <em>would not</em> touch him while he was sleeping. It was just a delusional desire brought to her mind by lack of proper sleep and proper meal. In fact, it was the healer in her who had taken over, who was interested in observing how healthy his body was after recovery. That was all.</p><p>She wasn’t sure how many days have passed since they left Cairo, but it was during nights like this – the quiet sounds of the Nile and the mysteries that wandered in its shores, the stars bright in the sky, the man laid by her feet snoring lightly – that Nahri thought it would be too much for her to bear. She had been trying not to stare at his sleeping form since her guard shift had started a couple of hours before. She was badly failing for the past hour.</p><p>Ali was heavily sleeping right in front of her. His lithe body was curled up on his side in the cramped space their boat provided, back pressed against the wood, right arm like a pillow under his head, and legs folded up, almost reaching his chest. In her position, shrunken between his feet and the boat’s stern, Nahri could see a soft expression on his face, sleep easing the frown he kept when he was overthinking everything. He looked peaceful, almost happy. She wondered if he was dreaming, and if so, what he was dreaming about.</p><p>Her fingers were twitching in her sides, clenched in fists, and it was all she could do to avoid intertwining them on his, like she did before in another cramped space, a few days earlier. Back then, she wasn’t sure if he was ever going to wake up. It was different now – even though she wanted to slip her fingers through his again, she was very sure he <em>would</em> wake up, startled and mortified by <em>such forbidden behavior.</em></p><p>Oh, he would definitely be mortified if he knew what she was thinking about for the past hour. This far in their journey, she was sure nothing could be worse than the day where she’d referred to him as <em>well-formed</em>, but that was only because Ali couldn’t read her mind. These days navigating the Nile made her realize how much she cherished his company, his rambling speeches about every single topic of conversation – he always had an opinion to voice –, the warm smiles he would give her every time she said something funny. She had missed him so much.</p><p>It wasn’t the first time, since they left Daevabad, that she felt glad it was him by her side. At first, when he came back after five years, Nahri was angry about how much his presence soothed her. She was angry with him, for leaving and breaking her heart even more, and for returning when she was almost fine with all her losses in that awful night – <em>almost</em>. Angry with herself, for being so shaken after seeing the man he had become, for missing their friendship so badly. He was not her first friend in Daevabad. But he certainly was the only friend she had there that truly heard what she had to say. After five years being dismissed, the prospect of having that relationship back was so thrilling and fearsome that hit her like a wave, bringing back all those buried feelings she thought she was over with, and it had<em>scared</em> her. <em>This doesn’t make us friends again</em>, she had told him, when they left Subha’s house, dreams of a hospital for every Daevabadi bright in their eyes, taking form in their minds. What a lie. Not that she would ever admit that to him, obviously.</p><p>Her back was starting to ache, and her legs were getting numb. Pressed against the boat’s hull and without her healing abilities, Nahri could feel every single nerve on her body complaining and asking her to change position. Maybe if she’d just… stretch a bit. Nahri got up in her shaking legs, and almost lost balance, holding fast the boat’s pole to stay up. The boat swayed from the abrupt movement, and she quickly glanced at Ali, only to find him still asleep. She tried to steady herself, but her legs were still too weak, cramps all over them. She really needed to lie down, at least for a few moments.</p><p>Nahri considered their small boat. With their belongings pushed away to the prow, Ali sleeping across the floor with his feet invading her space at the stern, the only spot available that could fit her body was a narrow line on the floor between Ali’s body and the opposite railing of the boat. Did Nahri have any choice but to lie down beside him? <em>Well, it’s a shame, but I’ll have to do it</em>. It probably wouldn’t wake him up – Ali was a light sleeper, but there were nights, when he was especially exhausted, that no sooner he had leant his head on the floor than he had dozed off, only waking up hours later, no matter how much noise she’d make.</p><p>Actually, thinking about it, this was her cue to examine closely if there was any reminiscence of that feverish flush his face had after their arrival at Cairo. With a resigned sigh, she sat down slowly, pulling over her bag of oranges so she could use it as a pillow. Lying carefully – very, very carefully – on her left side, she faced Ali’s peaceful expression. With half of her attention directed at the sounds of the river – she was supposed to keep guard, after all –, she considered his bright skin, his hair grown out, curling on his forehead, the thick beard after days without shaving, his lips parted slightly as he exhaled a soft breath. He had a very symmetrical face, indeed. <em>Healthy face</em>, she corrected herself, for she was merely examining his good condition after some rest. She wouldn’t look past his face; she wouldn’t even spare a glance at the muscles on his triceps, enhanced by the thin fabric of his tunic. Below that, even more dangerous territory.</p><p>This close, she could see his eyes moving behind his closed eyelids, and she felt the urge of reaching up to touch them. It was all his fault, really. These days, she had been feeling especially drawn to him – if not for his interesting opinions, or his respectful way of listening to her, or his heated speeches about the future he wanted for their city, than for his <em>very</em> touchable face.</p><p>Before Nahri could stop herself, she felt her hand coming up, her index finger stretched out, aiming his thick eyelashes…</p><p>His eyes snapped open.</p><p>With a shriek that could wake the dead, Nahri jumped back, hitting the hull with such a force that almost turned the boat upside down. Startled by her scream, Ali immediately got up to his knees – a mistake, given the boat’s unstable situation. With another wide sway of the boat, she was thrown right at his chest, sliding off to his lap. Nahri couldn’t believe this was happening.</p><p>— Oh God, I am so sorry — Ali blurted out, alarmed. Why was <em>he</em> apologizing? She was the one who almost made them fall out of the boat <em>and</em> put them on this weird situation.</p><p>Eager to escape that scandalous position, they clumsily threw themselves each on opposite corners of the boat, Ali in her previous guard spot, Nahri painfully pressed against their supplies’ boxes. They were panting, staring at each other with wide eyes. By the Creator, how <em>creepy</em> she must have seemed from his point of view. Feeling a deep blush crawling up to her cheeks, she scolded herself for thinking she could touch a warrior’s face without waking him up.</p><p>While they were desperately trying to keep the boat steady, she decided to break the awkward silence first, before he had a chance to fully collect his thoughts and question her creepiness.</p><p>— You <em>scared</em> me! — Nahri accused him, her heart racing. He scowled at her.</p><p>— <em>You</em> scared me! I open my eyes and you are almost sticking your finger on them! — Ali replied, bewildered. — What were you <em>doing</em>, by the way?</p><p>Nahri was going to die of embarrassment. But there was <em>no way</em> she would admit she was trying to trace his beautiful eyelashes without him noticing.</p><p>— I was just... checking your pulse — she settled by saying.</p><p>— You were checking my pulse by my eyelids? — Ali asked, skeptical.</p><p>She was awkwardly silent for too long.</p><p>— Your eye was pulsing! — Creator have mercy on her, what was she saying? — It’s a doctor thing. You wouldn’t understand. — That answer seemed safe.</p><p>— Oh. Is there something wrong with me? I mean, more wrong than a seal plucked in my heart? — Ali seemed concerned now, his frown back on his face.</p><p>He didn’t look suspicious about her true reasons for having her hand so close to his face. Good. Although a part of her just wanted to shake him for being so oblivious – <em>No, Ali, I just meant to trace your features with my fingers in the air because I can’t help myself</em> –, she was glad for not being discovered just yet. How could they finish their journey on this small boat if he knew she was daydreaming about him? No way. He would be abashed, maybe even offended, and would never spare her a glance anymore. So she fought the urge to smooth the crease between his eyebrows with her fingers, and put on her best impassible expression. <em>No more touching for a while, Nahri.</em></p><p>— No, you’re completely fine. — She rolled her eyes, but then, considering her disguise, she added: — According to my medical examination, the seal is not causing any more trouble to your body.</p><p>— Well, that’s a relief. — Ali glanced at her with an unreadable expression. — Good to know that my <em>well-formed</em> body is still behaving.</p><p>— Ya, idiot! — Nahri grabbed one of the oranges that had fallen off her bag and threw at him. Ali caught it in the air, and started laughing hard.</p><p>She glared at him. This was what she received for trying to preserve their friendship.</p><p>— You’ve already slept too much. It’s my turn — she said sharply, and turned her back on him, taking over his previous spot and stretching her legs so they almost touched his, still recoiled at the boat’s stern.</p><p>— Alright. Sleep well, my friend — he replied, and Nahri could still hear the laugh on his voice.</p><p>The boat shook with his weight as he tried to accommodate himself in the narrow space she had spared him, his feet touching her kneecaps, which sent a thrill through her body. With his smile playing on her mind, Nahri hid her face in the bag to keep him from seeing hers. <em>Maybe not so oblivious, after all.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>song (title): gorgeous (taylor swift)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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